Veterans Slam MAGA Extremist JD Vance Following VP Debate For Lies, Refusing to Accept Election Results, and More
PRESS RELEASE: October 1, 2024
Walz Stood for Integrity, While Vance Pushed Conspiracy and Extremism
Washington, DC — Tonight, Gov. Tim Walz didn’t just frame the stakes — he laid out the undeniable truth of this election: We can choose leaders who’ve proven they’ll defend our democracy or hand power to grifters who only care about themselves and Donald Trump’s ego.
Walz is a veteran who’s lived his commitment to this country. He exposed JD Vance as the empty suit he is—a puppet for extremism, ready to spread lies and tear down anyone if it elevates his political career. This election isn’t just about politics; it’s about whether we save our democracy or let it fall into the hands of con artists and would-be tyrants.
For veterans, the choice is even starker. Tim Walz embodies the values we fought for—duty, sacrifice, and honor. He knows what it means to put country over self and is not afraid to call out those who threaten it. JD Vance? He sold out the moment he aligned with Trump and his dangerous agenda. Tonight, Walz left no doubt: Kamala Harris is the only candidate with the backbone and experience to serve as Commander-In-Chief. Donald Trump is just another fraud trying to tear down everything we served to protect.
Gov. Walz stood out in tonight’s debate by addressing the real issues that matter to voters and veterans alike:
Healthcare access that ensures every American can get the care they need.
Prescription drug pricing reform, pushing for lower costs that will ease the burden on working families.
Reproductive healthcare access, standing up for the freedom of choice that MAGA extremists like JD Vance want to strip away.
Walz also emphasized common-sense programs like the VA home loan, offering real solutions to veterans' everyday problems.
Walz challenged Vance’s defense of Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, saying,”A president’s words matter” regarding the Jan. 6 riot. Vance called it ironic for Democrats to label Trump a threat to democracy, citing concerns over 2016 Russian interference. Walz replied, “January 6 wasn’t about Facebook ads,” and pressed Vance on whether Trump lost the election. Vance dodged, focusing on the future, which Walz called a “damning non-answer.”
Meanwhile, JD Vance spent the night dodging, deflecting, and bristling when confronted with the truth:
Vance couldn’t handle being fact-checked, clearly rattled when his misinformation was exposed.
He clumsily tried to distance himself from his past, rightly critical comments about Trump, now his running mate, showing how far he’s willing to bend for political power.
When asked to address Trump’s outrageous claim that climate change is a "hoax," Vance had nothing to say—an insult to people in North Carolina and across the country still reeling from devastating storms caused by the climate crisis.
While Walz stood firmly for freedom and policies to improve lives, JD Vance was too busy trying to dance around his contradictions and failures. This debate made it crystal clear: only one candidate is fighting for America’s future, and it sure isn’t the MAGA extremists.
From starting out the gate with lies and misdirections about manufacturing when the facts show Trump let American manufacturing go into a freefall — while the Biden-Harris Administration secured record job and manufacturing growth through the Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS Act, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act — to refusing to answer if he thought Trump lost the 2020 election tells all of us everything we need to know. We cannot let the same people who tried to overthrow our democracy in 2021 back into the White House. We must all do our part to preserve our sacred democracy and vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz.
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— Common Defense is a grassroots, veteran-led organization founded in 2016. We empower veterans to stand up for our communities against the rising tide of racism, hate, and violence, to organize against the entrenched powers that have rigged our economy, and to champion an equitable and representative democracy where “liberty and justice” truly are for all. For too long, politicians from both political parties have attempted to use veterans as unwilling political props and Common Defense serves as a home for veterans to organize and speak for themselves.